Money Doesn't Grow on Trees
by AgentOfAngst
Summary: It's hard for Wasabi to ask for what he wants, his family isn't rich, but he just has to go to SFIT... It's worth a shot, right?


**I'm starting to create a past and history for Wasabi and I love it. Also, I figured out how to get around not knowing his name and that's nicknames and pronouns. Take that shrouded in mystery man!**

**I haven't said this in a while but I don't own these characters so this is just my own personal headcanon for Wasabi's past.**

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He'd thought it would be another one of those money-doesn't-grow-on-trees talks that his parents were infamous for. It was the reason he didn't really ask for things anymore. If he wanted something bad enough, he added it to his list. The list of things he would get when he was self-sufficient. Usually, he just convinced himself that he didn't need whatever he wanted. It was better than adding it to the list. He didn't want the list to get too long or it got stressful. And this wasn't something he could just add to the list, either he got what he asked for, the only thing he'd asked for in a long time, or he convinced himself he didn't want it.

It would be so hard to convince himself he didn't want this. It would hurt so much. There were so many things he'd let go of because money didn't grow on trees, but this was his future, his destiny! And he wanted so badly to go to SFIT. His best friends, Tadashi and Leiko were going to SFIT, so why couldn't he?

"Mom, can I go to San Fransokyo Institute of Technology?"

"Ask your dad." That was another thing that always happened if things got asked for.

"Okay." That meant no. It probably meant no. He wanted to cry. No, he was too old to cry. He was in high school. He didn't want to let them down. He had to be strong. He balled up his fists and pushed the negative emotions deep down inside of him. His hands shook for a bit, but if he could work this out. If he could get a yes, if he could get even a maybe, then he could work hard and get what he wanted.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" He asked, his hands shaking. This was scary, it was his future! And it could go up in smoke if the answer was that money didn't grow on trees.

"Oh, sure, go ahead. I don't have a lot of time but go ahead." That put a lot more stress on him, because he couldn't elaborate, couldn't pull out a powerpoint and go through all that he wanted calmly and slowly. He just wanted to explain, but he could not. He didn't have enough time. His fists clenched. Push it down. Push it away.

"Bud? You wanted to ask something?" He always had this look on his face, when he was struggling, which his father could always pick out. No one knew what to do with it, though. No one knew how to fix him so they just let him cope with clenched fists, and if he seemed to get distracted they'd put him back on track as best they could.

"Yes! SFIT, San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, I want to go there." No, no, this was coming out all wrong! He couldn't articulate his thoughts well enough. He needed to get so much better at that. He needed more time. He was about to cry. No, no he couldn't cry. His fingernails dug into his palm. Push it down.

"You want to visit?"

"No, no, I want to attend."

"Bud you're a freshman in high school, it's a little early to think about that."

"I want to know if it could happen, I want to know what I'm working towards. Please?"

"Ask your mom."

"She told me to ask you."

"Oh, well then…" His son looked so upset, so stressed out. There was a time crunch for both of them, so his dad made a split-second decision.

"I think maybe you could go. You'd have to work out a lot of the payment yourself though." He wasn't much of a hugger, at least not then, and not with his family. But he hugged his dad in that moment, just for a moment.

"I will!"

He spent his entire high school education working little jobs that drove him crazy, studying hard for every test he had to take, and applying for scholarships whether or not they were matched to his skillset. He pieced together his education and if he had any free time, he spent it with Leiko and Tadashi, using Tadashi's tools because he didn't have any of his own. Really, that's what he and Leiko both did. They bonded over borrowing.

It was nice to have a close-knit little circle of people who were all passionate about something. He got more excited building and designing in Tadashi's garage than he did anywhere else. That was the only place any of his emotions were allowed to come to the surface. His hands didn't shake as much when he felt in control of a project. He was still an obsessive perfectionist, but he felt like he had a purpose now, he felt like he was doing something other than just calming his own compulsions.

Of course, he got into SFIT. His education was patched together with scholarships, grants, and saved up money from odd jobs. The odd jobs weren't as reliable though, because until he'd learned to stop cashing those checks his work money had gone into the house fund, mysteriously during the night. And then he'd hole up in his room and cry because things weren't going how they were supposed to, his plan had gone awry and he didn't have control. And then, when he'd pushed the emotions back down, he'd make his room spotless, forgive his parents for stealing his money (which didn't grow on trees), write down how much they'd taken, and make a better plan.

Losing Tadashi was painful. He had his own tools now, his own space, his own purpose, but that didn't mean he wasn't hurting losing the guy who had gotten him interested in science and technology. Tadashi had been the foundation of Wasabi's aspirations. Everything Wasabi created was in one way or another dedicated to Tadashi Hamada and the set of tools they'd all gathered around like that garage was their Mecca. Wasabi let himself grieve now, he let himself cry with no shame, he meditated to understand his emotions, practiced yoga and mindfulness and did his best to reach those feelings he'd pushed away for so many years. There were still things he wouldn't dare touch, but he was doing his best. Leiko- GoGo now, like how he'd so readily adopted Wasabi- was helping him a lot with that. She was the only remnant of those days in the Hamada garage. She was his link to reality.

Sometimes she had to remind him to stop working so hard, to stop pouring so much of himself into projects and tests and the occasional odd job. Once you learn money doesn't grow on trees, you never really forget. GoGo knew that as well as he did, and she was just as hard working. But sometimes the way he worked made it seem like he forgot his purpose and his passion. It was miserable to see someone work hard for nothing more than money. But whenever he forgot his purpose, she would bring him back to their mecca. She would remind him of where they started and what they were working towards. Money didn't grow on trees, but money wasn't the only thing that mattered.


End file.
